Anxiety and Depression Are Serious Disorders

Posted by rinher on 17/06/2009

Anxiety and depression are both serious mental illnesses. Unfortunately, they can also go hand-in-hand, making everyday life very difficult for the person who is suffering. Understanding the signs and symptoms of both anxiety and depression is vital for helping a person regain control of their life.

It is not uncommon to see them manifest together, even though one condition doesn’t necessarily cause the other. Considering the potential ramifications of both anxiety and depression, early diagnosis and proper treatment is almost always advisable.

If the conditions are recognized and correct help is obtained, they can be overcome successfully. Knowing that to have their panic and anxiety gone, is a relief in itself.

Anxiety Signs

Anxiety can present itself in many different ways. From very particular phobias to generalized anxiety about everyday living, the actual triggers might vary. Some of the symptoms that tend to go across the board, however, include:

• Signs of a heart attack – chest pains and discomfort, palpitations and racing heartbeats.
• Sweating
• Trouble sleeping
• Irritability
• Impending sense of fear, doom or even worry about imminent death
• Stomach problems and discomforts

If the anxiety is particularly severe some people may experience a full blown panic attack. These episodes are incredibly frightening to the person who is suffering. Many people who suffer from anxiety try to safeguard themselves from the things they see as triggers. Whether this is social situations, heights, public speaking or even being separated from family or leaving the house, the end result is the generally the same – some form of isolation. This tends to be where depression and anxiety can intersect.

The Signs of Depression

Feeling down is one thing and this happens to everyone, but real depression is a like a black cloud that is suffocating. The symptoms of this condition, if left untreated, can lead to suicidal thoughts and consequences. Keeping an eye out for them is important if other mental illnesses, such as anxiety, are present. They are:

• Lack of enthusiasm in normal activities
• A feeling of sadness that persists for a length of time
• Feelings of hopelessness and guilt
• Thoughts of suicide or death
• Changes in eating habits
• A desire to isolate oneself

Anxiety and depression are both very real and serious illnesses. Fortunately, both can be treated rather effectively if their signs and symptoms are recognized and acted upon properly. Medication therapy or seeking counseling are some of the ways to help a person back on the right path. There are also other ways for alleviating anxiety and stress. If suffering from a combination of anxiety and depression, working through it alone is generally not advised.

Comments

3 Responses to “Anxiety and Depression Are Serious Disorders”

1. Saliha Rosa says:

   17/06/2009 at 10:56 am

   Halo Dokter Rinda. Selamat ya atas launching website barunya. Mudah-mudahan sukses selalu.
   BTW, signs of depression di atas semua dan seluruhnya ada di aku. I really want to go away to hide myself from everyone and everything, I think about death a lot and hope I don’t live too long, I am eating too much even with a full stomach, i keep remembering old times and cry about it, and remain sad afterwards, and lately i am neglecting daily chores and let my husband and son buy dinner outside ‘cos i just don’t feel like going into the kitchen. So I must be depressed then?
   Atau kebetulan saat ini aja mungkin lagi deg-degan nunggu berita kerjaan baru dan kemungkinan bhw nga dapat.
   Well, informasi di website ini sangat membantu untuk lebih mengenal diri dan membantu usaha untuk memperbaiki diri.
   Terima kasih doc.
2. Rinda says:

   19/06/2009 at 4:17 pm

   Hi Salihah, thank you for your comment.
   I have just posted a new article “Five Effective Ways To Beat Depression, Signs of Improvement!” Hope it will be useful to you.